Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-22

WCllS dllu 61lUl ACtS ulIu CduUlOuS CudU, AlCGl
all, there would have been no immediate
necessity for anything Of the kind, and Mis-
Roberta would have missed her train had moi
the sharp and practical Florinda been at the
helm. It was she who called out, rather dis
respectfully it must be confessed, "Stop dat
foolishness! Don't yer see you gwine he left
whisperatin' en- circumferatin right bcre!'
and not content with mere words pushed
Miss Roberta briskly in the direction of the
ladies' car and got her or board. On the
platform, even that lady paused to say
"Sister, dear, be sure to feed my Rouen"-
This sentence, if it had been finished, would
nave had ducks" in it, but it wasn't. The
train started, and with a convulsive lurch OF
two, Miss Roberta disappeared inside. The
weather being that of the dog days the car
windows were all up, and from one Of them
Miss Roberta saw her two sisters waving
their handkerchiefs. She also saw F]orinda,
who had taken off the black straw and was
fourishing it in the air, her innumerable lit.
| tie pig tails standing out in silhouette against
the sky like the quilts of the fretful porch.
pine, her voice sending after the traveller q
last caution, "Change kyars at Milford, Miss
Roberta!"
When the train crawled into Milford the
faithless conductor forge her entirely. But
the car was unanimousl, deserted by the pas
sengers amidst a most confusing banging of
doors and rush of trains, and after having
made satisfactory inquiry as to whether that
was "really Milford, " she followed the people
near her and soon found herself in a huge
covered station. There were trains to the
right of her and trains to the left of her.
There was a great crowd. She made some
more timid inquiries, and the busy officials,
only half needing her, sent her first to the
wrong gate, where, after fumbling for her
ticket and showing it, she was cursorily
waved off to another and finally reached the
proper train at the last moment. She saw
the people from afar streaming in, and just
caught up with the procession. "Hold OH!
Here's another!" said the conductor in charge,
and glad enough was she to find herself in
harbor once more after the agitating liuctua-
lions of the last few hours. Now all was
welll She had only to get off at Smithville,
where her aunt lived and would see that she
was welcomed properly. In two hours more
the journey would be at an end.
With these reflections Miss Roberta settled
her wraps and parcels in the last seat at the
upper end of the car, and took the empty one
facing it. Once or twice she turned around
to have a look at the other passengers as they
took their places, n then she sank back
against the well cushioned seat, and as she
would herself W expressed it, "addressed'
herself to reading the excellent volume OF
Hannah More provided by Miss Anastasia as
q certain preventive of possible dullness. 1t
was not the first time she had read 1t by any
means, but novelty in the atmosphere in
which she had been bred was not only not
essential, even in the matter Of books, but
considered vaguely dangerous. They had
always read Hannah More with pleasure,
and that q time would come in which
they would cease to be @edified" and Tin
structed" by her amusement was q mere
giddy, violate side issue, without weight
among grave, superior people) would have
struck all the sisters as an almost indecent
supposition.
And so it was with serious satisfaction that
Miss Roberta turned over page after page OF
the volume in her hand, which she was al.
lowed to dwell upon quite undisturbed, for
except to show her ticket when first seated
her attention was not once distracted. In the
course of the next o and a half they
passed a good many stations, at which they
stopped for a few minutes, but no one got
into her car and no one got out, neither was
she annoyed by having the names of the
towns bawled at her from afar, as she had
been on the branch road. It is possible.
though, to get enough even OF the most sub.
stantial repast, and so when she had finished
the twelfth chapter of moral reflections hH
man nature began to assert itself, and Miss
Roberta groaned twice and began to look
about her again.
So little breeze sifted in through the win
dow that Miss Roberta was uncomfortable
enough, and seeing that q lady opposite (who
looked up from some knitting just then and
smiled pleasantly on meeting her gaze) had
two palmetto fans lying by her, unused, Miss
Roberta forgot her wounded dignity and ask
ed for the loan Of one.
The lady ignored her request calmly, and
with her p~ortmanteau and shawl improvlsed
q couch and laid down.
"Wel, l do think these people are brazen!
Thought Miss Roberta. keep yoar old fan,
then! I'd be burned to a cinder rather than
take it now, if you offered it. what woulo
Sister Anastasia and Sister Elizabeth think
of you?" She sternly determined u nave notn-
ing more to do with them.
"I've often been told that northern people
were not demonstrative and cordlal III man
ners, and that in travelling, especially, tney
were very much on their guard against stran-
gers and very reserved. but l had no idea
they were so quiet and formal and hate1ul'"
unused she, judging of them entirely ny ner
recent experiences, and drawing the most
sweeping conclusions.
Five minutes later she again forgot her
anger. for the train curved boldly away TO
the right and came upon a beautiful river, on
th. hanks of which she CAUGHT q GLIMPSE ct a